The present invention relates to a virtual control user interface for an ultrasound processor and a method there for which mimics the hardware configuration for other ultrasonic processors.
Ultrasound is utilized in many non-invasive medical procedures in order to detect and diagnosis a patient""s condition. For example, ultrasonic scans are commonly used to detect and monitor the growth, viability and health of fetuses, to detect and assist in the diagnosis of liver, kidney, and other intestinal ailments, among others.
During these procedures, an ultrasound transducer head is placed atop or near the internal organ sought to be scanned. The ultrasonic image (generally resulting from the detection of sonic echoes by the ultrasonic transducer head) is displayed in essentially real time on a display monitor.
A significant number of ultrasound machines utilize user interfaces which are configured as knobs, slide switches, push buttons and other similar type tactile controls. The user must be trained to simultaneously hold the ultrasonic scan head on the body of the patient while adjusting the knobs, push buttons and slide controls on the ultrasound processor while further viewing the display monitor.
A difficulty arises when the physician or medical office wishes to upgrade the ultrasonic scan head or which is to replace or enhance the ultrasound processor unit electronically coupled to and driving the ultrasound scan head. In general, these ultrasound processor units were simply replaced with a larger enhanced model with a higher level of tactile control knobs, slide switches and push buttons. Of course, the number of tactile controls available to the user has a physical limitation in relation to the size of the overall processor unit. Further, the physician or medical office is required to train the use of the machine and this training is unique to a particular hardware and ultrasonic processing technique.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a computer based virtual control user interface for an ultrasound processor.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a virtual control user interface which incorporates multiple menu levels for the display of gain control images, ultrasound enhancement control images and focused controlled images.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a virtual control user interface which can reveal images representative of hardware control configurations for a number of ultrasound processors.
It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a virtual control user interface which incorporates a touch screen display monitor.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a virtual control user interface which can be customized by the user to enhance the operability and effectiveness of the user interface.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a virtual control user interface which includes a pull down or pop up protocol check list or menu which may be used by the user to insure that the ultrasound techniques recorded by the ultrasound processor comply with a predetermined medical protocol.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an ultrasound processor which is configured with plug-in boards for a processor unit, input/output interface or display monitor, a keyboard, and various input/output interfaces for other peripheral computer equipment.
The virtual control user interface for an ultrasound processor includes a software driven display obtained from a memory unit in the ultrasound processor and displayed in a display monitor (part of the ultrasound processor) under control of a processor unit (which is also part of the ultrasound processor). The software driven display reveals images representative of hardware control configurations for other ultrasound processors. These ultrasound processors are electronically coupled to an ultrasound scan head via a scan head interface unit. The image provided by the software driven display and displayed by on the display include: a plurality of gain control tactile user interfaces, a plurality of ultrasound image enhancement control tactile user interfaces and, at least one focus control tactile user interface. The software driven display has multiple menu levels for the display of the gain control images, the ultrasound images enhancement control images and the focus control image. The software driven display is also further configured to reveal images of more than one ultrasound processor. In a further embodiment, the virtual control user interface is used in conjunction with a touch sensitive user input screen and the virtual control user interface includes a touch screen input command converter responsive to a user""s touch on the touch sensitive display monitor to convert the tactile input into a software command corresponding to the image proximally displayed on touch sensitive display monitor. Other features of the control user interface include the ability to recall previously scanned ultrasound images which are recorded in the memory unit of the ultrasound processor, to annotate recently acquired ultrasound images, preferably in color, such that the ultrasound electronic images and associated annotations can be electronically transferred from the ultrasound processor to other peripheral computer equipment, and a checklist for medical protocol involved in the ultrasound medical techniques. The medical protocol is loaded as pull down or pop up menu available to the user.